AFSA Division 6 -

AFSA Legislative Accomplishments in 2012

AFSA Members,

From the AFSA Membership point of view, we are often asked, "What have you done for me lately?"  Our AFSA HQ Military and Government Relations folks, led by MSgt (Ret.) Morgan Brown, have highlighted some AFSA accomplishments attained during the past year.  Having worked for several years with Morgan, I can tell you we are fortunate to have him as our chief legislative strategist, leading the charge in Washington.   I list some of the accomplishments below.  You will note that a good number of the bullets deal with "preventing," "blocking," "defeating," and "delaying" administration efforts against quality-of-life related programs. Hit the break for the list of AFSA accomplishments from 2012...

AFSA International Legislative Committee Bulletin 2013-081

May 10, 2013

1. Senate Defense Appropriations Chair Wants Info on BRAC. In his FY 2014 Defense Budget plan, President Obama has called for another round of base realignments and closures (BRAC). According to a Stars and Stripes article, Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Defense Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., wants proof that the 2005 BRAC round actually saved money. Durbin recently said, “I've watched five base closure commissions. . . I want to see actual savings--start to finish--when you're closing a base, moving the personnel, moving the equipment, reassigning and then assessing how much money you've saved as a result of it.”

AFSA International Legislative Committee Bulletin 2013-080

May 9, 2013

1. HVAC Passes Five Key Veterans’ Bills. Yesterday, the House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) passed five bills of interest to veterans. The bills now go to the full House for consideration. H.R. 357, the “GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013,” would force public colleges and universities to charge student veterans only in-state tuition starting July 1, 2015.

AFSA International Legislative Committee Bulletin 2013-079

May 8, 2013

1. SECAF and CSAF Testify on FY 2014 Defense Authorization Request. Yesterday, Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on how they envision moving forward in a constrained fiscal environment. They called for support of the Air Force’s budget request of $114.1 billion for FY 2014.